UAE Honors Pilots and Crew for Thwarting Cockpit Attack on Flydubai Flight
UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed has honored the pilots and crew of a foiled Flydubai flight, revealing the identities of relief pilots Hanson Stephen and Rowan Toth alongside injured Indian pilot Sumit Muchhar for successfully landing the Boeing 737 in Saudi Arabia.
A month after a foiled suicide attack aboard a Flydubai Boeing 737, authorities have revealed the identities of the two relief pilots who safely landed the aircraft in Saudi Arabia. Following a high-level ceremony in the United Arab Emirates, Hanson Stephen of Fiji and Rowan Toth of South Africa were publicly recognized for their heroism during the incident.
The thwarted attack occurred on a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, when the Omani co-pilot, Hammam al-Hamami, launched a sudden assault inside the cockpit using an emergency axe. Indian pilot Sumit Muchhar, despite sustaining severe head injuries and heavy bleeding, fought off the attacker and managed to unlock the cockpit door. Israeli passengers swiftly intervened, overpowering the assailant and restraining him with headphone cables.
Following Muchhar's intervention, Stephen and Toth took control of the aircraft after part of its tail was damaged, successfully executing an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Initially, media reports misidentified the relief pilots as nationals of New Zealand and South Africa.
During a formal ceremony, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed awarded the Order of Zayed II—the nation's second-highest civilian decoration typically reserved for diplomats and senior officials—to Muchhar, Stephen, and Toth. The medals were presented by Dubai Crown Prince Hamdan bin Mohammed.
"The awarding of the Order of Zayed II to the Flydubai crew is a tribute to the courage, bravery, and composure they demonstrated in protecting passengers' lives," wrote presidential diplomatic adviser Anwar Gargash on X. Stephen previously flew for Fiji Airways, while Toth joined Flydubai in 2023 after working for South Africa's Airlink. Muchhar attended the ceremony in uniform with his left arm in a sling, bearing visible scars from the attack. During the event, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed personally inspected Muchhar's head injuries, playfully offering to train him in martial arts once he fully recovers in two months.
